‘Friday Night Smackdown’ Review (Jul 19th 2024)
Welcome to this review of this past Friday’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: Andrade def. Carmelo Hayes
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Andrade and Carmelo Hayes threw down in a match for the ages, but only El Idolo was left standing tall. The two Superstars were out to send a message, and they did just that as Hayes electrified the crowd with a brilliant reverse leg drop off the second rope as well as countering Andrade mid-air with a First 48. Andrade was too determined to lose as he hit a scintillating moonsault, despite it not being enough to score the win. Hayes went for broke, but his attempt a dive from the top rope was countered into a hammerlock DDT, which allowed Andrade to secure the huge victory in epic fashion.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Bianca Belair def. Chelsea Green
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
It didn’t take long for The EST to teach the mean-spirited Chelsea Green a lesson. Belair tossed Green around the ring as Jade Cargill and Piper Niven watched from ringside, unable to help their respective partners. Green attempted to roll up Belair and pull her tights to gain an advantage, but Belair flipped her hips and earned the win via a rollup of her own.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Michin def. Tiffany Stratton
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Thanks to an assist from WWE Women’s Champion Bayley, Michin picked up one of the biggest wins in her SmackDown career by defeating Ms. Money in the Bank Tiffany Stratton. Michin got off to a tough start, as Queen Nia Jax served as a body guard, allowing Stratton to hit a devastating Alabama Slam on the outside. When all hope seemed lost, Bayley appeared, took out Jax and destroyed the Money in the Bank briefcase, allowing Michin to roll up Stratton and get the pinfall.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Cody Rhodes & Kevin Owens def. A-Town Down Under
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes teamed with Kevin Owens to take out A-Town Down Under, but once again, The Bloodline made The American Nightmare pay dearly. Rhodes and Owens continued to show off their great chemistry, using tandem offense to keep the former WWE Tag Team Champions off balance. After a remarkable Swanton Bomb from Owens, Rhodes tagged in and cleaned house before the duo hit a Stunner and a Cross Rhodes to win the match. After the bout, Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline laid waste to Rhodes and Owens, sending a message that they are the most dominant force in WWE.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
What a weird episode of Smackdown. This was a show packed with fighting but only four actual wrestling matches! Considering we’re on the road to Summerslam we didn’t really get any advancement in the storylines for that event either, well apart from the whole Cody/Bloodline stuff. Which, if it doesn’t pay off to something huge, will – I feel – start to tire on the audience. Of the matches we did get, only the first one was worth paying attention to – at least in terms of good wrestling; though the main event, until the appearance of Solo and co. was a slice of wrestling fun.
